Heating system



Sept. 22, 1936. w; LUM 2,055,299

HEATING SYSTEM Filed July 6, 1953 minim-1mm.

Inventor: \A/QHIGT" O. Lu'm,

is Abborneg.

MIMI-Ill Patented Sept. 22, 1936 HEATING 8Y8!!! warm- 0.1mm, Schenectady, N. 1., unmia General Electric Company New York a cm ration of Application July 6. 1983, Serial No. 679,172

2 Claims. (01. 237-19) My invention relates to improvements in heating systems, more particularly to the automatic thermostatically controlled house heating and domestic hot water heating systems of the type 5 involving a thermo-syphon circulating radiator system.

It is an object of my invention to provide a house heating system in which a substantially constant temperature is maintained and heat losses due to undesirable thermo-syphon circulation of the heating medium in the radiating system are prevented, and in which heating lag is eliminated.

Another object of my invention is to provide a combined house heating and domestic water heating system which will provide the necessary domestic hot water during all seasons oi the year independently of and without affecting the heating of the house.

Another object of my invention is to provide a house heating system having a simple means for positively controlling the circulation of the heating medium through the system to eliminate heat lag and maintain even temperatures.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a positive circulating means in which the rate of circulation can be simply controlled.

A further object of my invention is to provide a house heating system having an intermittently fired powdered solid fuel or fluid fuel boiler and a positive circulating means for the heating medium but in which chilling of the flame and prodnets of combustion by a low temperature heating medium is prevented during initial operation of the circulating means whenever heat is called for.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a heating system of the type described which will always provide a sufllcient quantity of heating medium at a proper heating temperature by operating the heat supplying means whenever the circulating means is operated.

These and other objects will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows my invention applied to a combined house heating and domestic hot water heating system using an oil-burning furnace, the furnace being shown partially in cross-section; Fig. 2 shows a modification of my invention with the house heating system and hot water storage tank connected thereto; Fig. 3 is a cross-section showing the details of my combined pump and valve mechanism; and Fig. 4 shows the details of the pump impeller.

In Fig. 1 an oil-burner furnace I0 is illustrated having a combustion chamber ll lined with reiractory material it suspended from the sides of the combustion chamber. The type of refractory shown is described and claimed in a copending application of Aldo Macchl, Serial No. 505,866, flied December 31, 1930, and assigned to the same 6 assignee as the present application. This furnace shown is of the type described and claimed in the copending application of Aldo Macchl. Serial No. 505,867, filed December 31, 1930, and assigned to the same assignee as the present ap- 10 plication. An oil-burner blower and compressor unit designated generally at it is mounted on top of the furnace. The blower and compressor unit shown is of the type described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 553,119, flied 16 July 25, 1931, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. It is provided with an electric driving motor M. This unit is supported by a'bracket It in the restricted opening l5 extending from the combustion chamber to go the top of the boiler. The oil and air delivery nozzle it connected to the blower compressor unit is vertically mounted in this restricted opening. The oil spray is ignited by means of the electrodes ii, in a well known manner. Sec- 25 ondary combustion air is furnished by means oi the nozzle is at the bottom of the combustion chamber and the products of combustion pass out through the secondary passage in which the secondary heat-absorbing units l9 are mounted. so The products of combustion are exhausted to the stack through the stack breaching 20 provided with an explosion safety door 20'. This explosion safety door may be of the type described and claimed in my copending application, Serial 36 No. 596,067, filed March 1, 1932, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. The water space ii of the boiler, where the hot water is stored until required for use in the radiating system, has mounted therein the hot 40 water heating coil 22 which is connected to a hot water storage tank. This coil may be of the type described and claimed in a copending application of Elliott D. Harrington, Serial No. 629,148, filed August 17, 1932, and assigned to the same 46 assignee as the present application. It is of course understood that the boiler and heating coil are connected to the house heating system and hot water storage tank, as shown in Fig. 2. Water from the radiating system enters the so boiler through the pipe 23 and leaves the boiler through the pipe 24. While the water can be circulated through the radiating system in either direction it is circulated through the boiler from top to bottom. A valve. 24' may be used to pre- 55 vent "one pipe circulation in the return conduit. It is biasedclosed, but opens in response to operation of the pump 26. A cover 25 is provided over the top of the furnace and encloses the oil burner blower and compressor unit. An air duct, not shown, conducts air to the burner unit enclosed by the cover 25.

The combined valve and pump mechanism designated generally at 28 is provided with a motor 21 for driving the pump. The details of this valve and pump are shown in Fig. 3 which will be discussed below.

A thermostatic control which may be used for controlling the burner and circulating pump in my invention is schematically shown in Fig. 1. The room thermostat 28 controls the electromagnetic switch 29. This switch energizes the pump motor 21 and oil burner motor |4 although the pump motor and oil burner motor could be separately energized if desired. When the thermostat 28 closes its contacts, the bridging members 32 and 38 complete a circuit through the motors 21 and I4. The circuit for the pump motor is from one side of the line, through the conductor 3|, bridging member 32, conductor 33, to one side of the motor 21 and from the other side of the motor 21, through the conductors 34 and 35, to the other side of the line. A circuit is completed through the oil-burner motor from one side of the line, through conductor 3|, bridging member 36, conductors 31 and 38, to one side of the motor I 4 and from the other side of the motor |4 through conductors 39 and 35, to the other side of the line. Thus, it will be seen that both motors are energized when the thermostat 28 closes and calls for heat.

The oil-burner motor I4 is also controlled by means of the thermostatically operated snap action switch 49 schematically shown and having the thermostatic operating element 4| responsive to the temperature of the water in the water space 2| of the boiler. When the temperature of the water drops to a predetermined point, this switch closes and a circuit is completed from one side of the line through conductor 42, switch 49, conductors 43 and 38, to one side of the motor I4 and from the other side of the motor l4 through conductors 39 and 35, to the other side of the line. This temperature responsive switch 48 operates independently of the thermostat 28 and acts to maintain the water in the water space 2| at a given temperature irrespective of whether there is a demand for heat in the heating system or not.

InFig. 2 is shown a modification of my invention. The radiators I00 and hot water storage tank |8| are connected to the boiler and water heating coil as shown. Here the valve 58 and pump 28' driven by the motor 21 are separate units and are placedin different parts of the circulating system, the valve 58 being connected to the pipe 23 and the pump 26' being connected to the pipe 24. The operation, however, is the same as for the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. A U 241 may be used to prevent one pipe circulation. Of course a valve such as shown in Fig. 1 at 24 could be substituted for the U. The U acts-as a trap and prevents thermo-syphon action, as is well known.

The details of the combined pump and valve are shown in Fig. 3. The horizontal tubular casing or housing 60 is provided with the flanges 8| and 62 to facilitate connection of the casing or housing in the circulating piping system 23 and has mounted therein both the valve and pump As shown in Fig. 3 the casing 88 is provided with an inner dividing wall 63 extending substan-- tially longitudinally and horizontally of the casing and provided with the opening 83' t erethrough for forming the inlet of the impeller pump housing. The valve 54 cooperating with the valve seat 86 is supported on the valve arm 64 and is fastened thereto by means of nuts 81. The valve arm is pivoted at 65 and moves in a clockwise direction about its pivot to permit the flow of fluid through the casing 58, as indicated by the arrows when the pump is operated. An air bleeder passage 15 permits air entrapped in the system to pass into the passage 16. The petcock 18' can be opened to release the entrapped air from the system. The cover 68 fastened to the casing by means of bolt 59, carries a member 18 which determines the extent to which the valve 64' will be opened and hence the rate of fl'pw through the system. This member can be moved toward or from the valve by means of the screw 1| and locked in position by means bf the nut 12. A cap 13 is mounted over the set-screw 1| and has a washer 14 interposed between it and the cover to provide a fluid-tight engagement. Fluid, in passing through the valve 84' passes through the passage 16 and up through the inlet opening 63' in the dividing wall 63 and the pump impeller from the under side thereof.

The details of the impeller are shown in Fig. 4. It consists of a hub |0| engaging the pump shaft 83 and provided with blades I02 connected at their lower sides by means of an annular shroud N13. The fluid passes up through the center of the pump and is forced out radially into the exhaust passage 11 in the casing 69. A bleeder passage 19 permits air trapped in the casing 58 to pass into the exhaust passage 11 or 16 where it can be released by opening the petcock 18 or 18'.

A support or hearing bracket 88 carrying the bushings 8| and 82 for the pump shaft 83 is mounted upon the bottom wall of the casing 69 in position to maintain the pump shaft 83 in alignment with the opening 63' in the dividing wall 63. This bushing support and the motor support 84 are fastened to the casing 60 by means of bolts 85. To provide a water-tight arrangement for the shaft, a bellows member 88 is used having a washer 8| connected thereto. The spring 88 forces the washer 8| against the member 82' to provide a tight connection so that any water which might find its way into the hollow space 88' of the bushing support will be prevented from passing to the inside of the bellows member and around the shaft to the outside of the support. A cap 81 is screwed on the support 89 to secure the bellows member between the bushing 82 and the support 88.

The motor 21 is provided with a supporting ring 88 which has mounted thereon studs 98. The motor may be detachably mounted on the ring by having bayonet slot connections between the ring 89 and the studs for example, whereby the motor may be released from the supporting ring 89. This ring is in turn supported by cushion members comprising intermediate resilient portions 9| having fastened thereto the elements 93 and 92 provided with the screw-threaded portions 95 and 96 held in place by nuts 91 and 98. This resilient member is supported by the motor support 84 and in turn supports the supporting ring 89. This cushion support prevents motor vibration from being transmitted to the heating system. The coupling Hill is of a type using 75 when the motor 21 is energized to operate the pump.

The heating medium due to thermo-syphon action tends to flow from left to right through the casing 60. Thus,it will be seen that the normal tendency is to maintain the valve 64' closed when the pump is not being operated. The heating medium is circulated through the casing 80 from right to left when the pump is operated, the valve 64' opening in response to the pressure created by the pump.

When heat is called for by closing of the room thermostat 28, both the circulating motor 21 and oil burner motor it are energized. This causes fuel to be supplied to the combustion chamber and heat to be transferred from the products of combustion to the water in the water space 2|. The pump also operates to circulate the hot water through the heating system in a direction counter to the normal thermo-syphon flow of the heating medium. If valve 24' is used it is of course understood that it opens against its bias to permit circulation when the pump is operated. This causes a flow of hot water from the top of the combustion chamber to the bottom of the combustion chamber and prevents chilling of the flame, as pointed out above. When sufllcient heat has been supplied to the radiators, the thermostat opens the circuit to the electromagnetic switch 29, which in turn opens the circuit to the motor pump and oil-burner motor to deenergize the same.

The water in the water space 2| must be maintained at a high temperature to provide proper heating of the domestic hot water supply and to insure a sumcient amount of heated water so that the heating system can be replenished with hot water as soon as the pump is put into operation. The thermostatic switch 40 will start operation of the oil-burner motor it whenever the temperature of the water in the water space 2| falls below a predetermined point.

By my invention, I provide a combined house heating and domestic hot water heating system in which heating lag is eliminated and an even tem-- perature is always maintained in the house to be heated and in which domestic hot water is furnished without aflecting the heating action of the system, and a system in which the heating losses are reduced to a minimum. In my invention I provide a house-heating system having positive circulating means and an intermittently fired boiler and in which chilling of the flame in the combustion chamber and consequent deterioration of the combustion chamber walls which would otherwise result is prevented. The simple pump and valve arrangement eliminates the need for electrically controlling the valve and the unreliable operation of balanced valves.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein has been selected for the purpose of clearly setting forth the principles involved. It will be apparent however that the invention is susceptible of being modified to meet the different conditions in its use and I therefore aim to cover by the appended claims all modiflcations within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1 A heating system comprising a hot water boiler having a thermostatically controlled burner for maintaining the temperature of the water therein above a predetermined minimum, a hot water radiator circulating conduit system having supply and return conduits connected to said boiler at different levels oi the water therein so as to be subject to an unbalanced hydrostatic force upon the heating of the water in the boiler, a check valve connected in the upper level conduit connection of said system adjacent the boiler and biased to close in the direction of said hydrostatic force to prevent circulation of the water from the boiler in said direction, an electric motor driven pump connected in said system for setting up a pressure in the water therein to open said check valve against its bias and to force circulation of the hot water from the boiler through said system in the direction opposite to said unbalanced hydrostatic force, and a thermostat responsive to the heating effect of said hot water radiating system for controlling the operation of said pump.

2. A heating system comprising a hot water boiler, an automatic burner therefor, a domestic hot water storage tank having a water heating coil immersed in the water in said boiler, ahouse heating hot water radiator circulating system connected to said boiler adjacent the top and bottom thereof so as to be subject to an unbalanced hydrostatic force upon the heating of the water in the boiler, means for preventing hot water circulation into said radiator system from both the top and bottom of the boiler including a check valve biased to closed position, an electric motor operated pump for setting up a pressure in said circulating system to open said valve and force circulation of the hot water from said boiler through said radiating system, a room thermostat for controlling the operation of said electric motor operated pump and for simultaneously effecting operation of said burner, and a boiler thermostat for independently operating said burner to maintain the boiler water temperature above a predetermined minimum. 

